Fixed vacuum breaker for flush valves



March 21, 1939. .1. J. GOODRIE FIXED VACUUM BREAKER FOR FLUSH VALVESFiled Nov. 26, 1934 /OJEPH J. GOOD/PA? //V///V 7 0/9 Wag FEE flTTOP/VEYPatented Mar. 21, 19 39 UNITED, STATES I ri'xnn vaouuu PATENT OFFICE. 1

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BREAKER. roarLUsn ALVES Joseph J. Goodrie, Chicago, 111., to Goodrie'Oylent Flush Valve 00., Chicago, IIL, a. corporation of IllinoisApplication November as, 1934, Serial No. 154,183 13 Claims. 01.131-111) This invention relates to an improved vacuum breaker for flushvalves, particularly for toilet bowls and the like, and is designedespecially for those flush valves which operate directly off the mainwater line.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a means foradmitting air to the interior of the pipe which connects the main supplyline to the toilet bowl orsimilar installation whereby any back pressureor suction due to any interference with the normal operation of thewater line is automatically prevented.

In installations of this sort, it often happens that the water fromtoilet bowls or similar equipment such as various apparatus inhospitals, laboratories and the like is drawn upwardly and outwardlytherefrom back into the main water line, this occurring quite frequentlywhen the water supply is shut off for some reason or another, whereuponthe opening of a faucet or valve at some lower level will immediatelycreate a suction or back pressure, and unless some means exists in theinlet pipe for breaking such a vacuum, the contaminated waste water fromthe toilet bowl or other apparatus is drawn back into the main supplyline whence it is then delivered to other outlets and may inadvertentlybe used for drinking or other purposes, thereby constituting a seriousdetriment to health.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to providemeans for automatically preventing such a back suction from devices ofthis type, and it is the object of the present invention to provide suchan apparatus which shall be economically constructed, ready ofinstallation and which shall possess the additional advantage of havingno moving parts.

Still another important object of the invention includes the provisionof means whereby the flow of water to a bowl or other equipment can beadjusted or regulated depending upon the nature the equipment. A stillfurther object is to provide an apparatus of this type wherein the meansfor breaking the vacuum shallform an integral part of the equipment,while at the same time it shall be positively proof against leakage oroverflow no matter what the pressure of the in-coming water may be.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and followingspecification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawing andhereinafter more fully described. e

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved vacuum breaker forflush valves of this 5 invention illustrating particularly the fact thatthe same has no moving parts in the vacuum breaker per se and furthershowing the means for adjusting the volume oi-flow of in-coming water.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows.

As shown in the drawing:

The reference numeral l0 indicates generally the casing of the improvedvacuum breaker of this invention, the same comprising a casting or thelike shaped as shown and with a flange l2 at its lower end whereby thesame may be readily connected to an intake pipe or the like l4 of atoilet bowl or other similar apparatus.

The casing ID has an integral inwardly extending shelf I6 which isadapted to divert the incoming water to one side as shown by the arrows,and below this shelf 18 is another similar shelf l8 made somewhatlighter which forms a space which opens into the atmosphere through aport 20, the same being guarded by an overhanging lip 22 formed integralwith the casing Ill.

The in-coming flush water passes downwardly through the casing I0, andthe opening provided 0 therefor is sufficient to allow of any desiredquan tity or volume of flow so as to insure an adequate flushingoperation.

In the event, however, that any back pressure is put upon the line, anypossibility of suction or siphoning action which would tend to drawwater upwardly through the pipe l4 and out of a toilet bowl or similardevice would be eliminated on account of the opening 20 which wouldallow air to flow in through this opening and through the space betweenthe shelves l6 and I8 and into the interior of the housing l0 as shownby the dotted line arrows. This will eflectively prevent any possibilityof siphonage with its consequent contamination of drinking water. 4

Projecting outwardly from the housing ID at one side thereof is acylindrical extension 24 inter nally screw-threaded to receive a plug 26which plug, in turn, is screw-threaded to receive a packing gland 28with the usual packing 30 mounted between these two elements.

Fitted into the plug and gland 26 and 28 is a cylindrical adjusting andpositioning member 32 internally screw-threaded as shown, and mountedtherein is a correspondingly screw-threaded stud 34 which has fixed onits outer end a plate 38. The. plate 36 is fitted in and closelycorresponds to the interior contour of the extension 24, the same beingsquared at two faces asbest shown at 38 in Figure 2. The plate 36 iscorrespondingly squared, and this prevents any turning movement of theplate in its mounting.

The adjusting member 32 is slotted at its end for the reception of ascrew driver or the like as shown at 40 whereby the same can be turnedin its housing, and any inward movement of this member is prevented bymeans of a disk 42 which is fitted into theupper end of the plug.26.Turn ing movement of the member 32 will rotate the same about itslongitudinal axis and cause a corresponding inward or outward movementof the stud 34 with its fixed plate 36.

This plate 36 acts as a valve element against a seat or the like 44, andthis results in an adjustment whereby the flow of water through thehousing l0 can be simply and adequately regulated. It often happens thatflush valves are installed with no control stops, this being for variousreasons, and .in the use of a vacuum breaker of this type between thebowl and a valve which has no movable part to check the back pressure,the same can be regulated to supply the correct amount of water for theparticular make of bowl. This adjustment also positively prevents anyback pressure of water through the open air port 20.

It will be seen that herein is provided a vacuum breaker for flushvalves which is especially advantageous in that it has no moving partsand, therefore, cannot possibly get out of order, while, at the sametime, it will adequately and properly perform the necessary operationrequired, namely, the complete prevention of any possibility of waterbacking up into the main supply line from a toilet bowl or similarequipment which, in many cases, contain contaminated and impure waterand other liquids which, if drawn into the supply line, would be aserious detriment to health.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction varied throughout a wide range without departing from theprinciples of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limitingthe patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the priorart.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, the opening being outlined by a pairof inwardly extending shelves in the housing.

2. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, the opening being outlined by a pairof inwardly extending shelves in the housing, the space between theshelves comprising a passage leading to the opening.

3. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, the opening being outlined by a pairof inwardly extending shelves in the housing, the space between theshelves comprising a passage leading to the opening, and an overhanginglip on the outside of the housing covering said opening.

4. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, the opening being outlined by a pairof inwardly extending shelves in the housing,

the space between. the shelves comprising a passage leading to theopening, the outer port being at" a level substantially above the inletto the said air passage.

5. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, includinga casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, the opening being outlined by a pairof inwardly extending shelves in the housing, the space between theshelves comprising a passage leading to the opening, the outer portbeing at a level substantially above the inlet to the said air passage,and means for controlling the volume of flush water passing through thecasing.

6. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, and means for controlling the volumeof flush water passing through the casing, said means comprising anadjustable valve element.

7. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, the opening being outlined by a pairof inwardly extending shelves in the housing, the space between theshelves comprising a passage leading to the opening, the outer portbeing at a level substantially above the inlet to the said air passage,and means for controlling the volume of flush water passing through thecasing, said means comprising an adjustable valve element. v

8. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, the opening being outlined by a pairof inwardly extending shelves in the housing, the space between theshelves comprising a passage leading to the opening, the outer portbeing at a level substantially above the inlet to the said air passage,and means for controlling the volume of flush water passing through thecasing, said means comprising an adjustable valve element, and a seatfor the valve, said valve seat being partially outlined by the uppermostof said internal shelves.

9. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, and means for controlling the volumeof flush water passing through the casing, said means comprising anadjustable valve, the valve including a disk, a screw-threaded studmounted on the disk, an internally screwthreaded plug for the stud, anda housing for the stud and plug.

10. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, and means for controlling the volumeof flush water passing through the casing, said means comprising anadjustable valve, the valve including a disk, a screw-threaded studmounted on the disk, an internally screwthreaded plug for the stud, anda housing for the stud and plug, said housing comprising a packinggland.

11. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the" atmosphere, and means for controlling thewolumeof flush water passing through the-casing, said means comprising anadjustable valve, the valve including a'disk, a screw-threaded studmounted on the disk, an internally screwthreaded plug for the stud, anda housing for the stud and plug, said housing comprising a packinggland, and an extension on one side of the housing for the reception ofsaid packing gland and adjustable valve.

12. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, and means for controlling the volumeof flush water passing through the casing, said means comprising anadjustable valve, the valve including a disk, a screw-threaded studmounted on the disk, an internally screwthreaded plug for the stud, anda housing for the stud and plug, said housing comprising a packipggland, and an extension on one side of the housing for the reception ofsaid packing gland and adjustable valve, and a valve seat in thehousing.

13. A vacuum breaker for flush valves, including a casing having anopening therein to the atmosphere, and means for controlling the volumeof flush water passing through the casing, said means comprising anadjustable valve, the valve including a disk, a screw-threaded studmounted on the disk, an internally screwthreaded plug for the stud, anda housing for the stud and plug, said housing comprising a packinggland, and an extension on one side of the housing for the reception ofsaid packing gland and adjustable valve, together with means in theextension for permitting a sliding but nonrotating movement of the valvedisk therein.

JOSEPH J. GOODRIE.

